United States tops Puerto Rico, moves closer to World Baseball Classic semifinals

Mets third baseman David Wright has driven in 10 runs in four WBC games. (AP Photo)

MIAMI—For Team USA, the way to San Francisco suddenly seems a lot closer than the 2,500 miles from MIA to SFO.

One more victory, in fact, is all the Americans need to head to the championship round of the World Baseball Classic at AT&T Park next week. They sure have come a long way since Friday.

Start your thanks with left-hander Gio Gonzalez, the local lad who stayed back in Florida with the Washington Nationals while his Team USA teammates sweated through the first round in Phoenix.

Gonzalez set the tone by throwing five scoreless innings as Team USA handled Puerto Rico, 7-1, in front of a lively crowd of 32,872 at Marlins Park on Tuesday night. The hero from nearby Hialeah allowed only three baserunners while striking out five in a 69-pitch outing that included 48 strikes.

“It’s a lot better catching him than trying to hit off him,” Team USA catcher Joe Mauer said. “He was tough. Early on, he was trying to find his curveball a little bit but after the third inning, he had everything going.”

A victory Thursday night over the Dominican Republic, a 5-4 comeback winner over Italy in the second-round opener, would assure Team USA of a trip to San Francisco.

Since losing its opener to Mexico on Friday, when manager Joe Torre later admitted his players were pressing, the U.S. has reeled off three consecutive victories for the first time in three WBCs.

“Now that we’ve been together for 10 days or so, everybody is a lot more comfortable with each other,” left fielder Ryan Braun said. “Personalities are starting to come out more and the chemistry and camaraderie definitely changes from Day 2 to Day 10.”

United States' Gio Gonzalez delivers a pitch during the first inning of a second round World Baseball Classic game against Puerto Rico, Tuesday, March 12, 2013 in Miami. The U.S. defeated Puerto Rico 7-1. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

They looked together on the field in an impressive all-around performance. Every player in the lineup reached base at least once as the U.S. put runners on in every inning except the fourth. David Wright once again led the way, this time with five RBIs that upped his total to 10 for the tournament. The U.S. scored single runs in the first, third, fifth and seventh before Wright, batting with the bases loaded for the third time, stroked a three-run double in the eighth to blow the game open.

“I’m not lying when I say that hitting in this lineup is ridiculous,” said Wright. “It seems like every at-bat, I’m hitting with runners in scoring position and in this case, bases loaded with less than two outs. That makes my job a lot easier.”

Added Braun, “We haven’t been swinging the bats great with runners in scoring position but up and down the lineup we have so much talent that if we continue to put ourselves in a position to score runs, eventually we know that somebody will come through. That somebody more often than not has been David.”

No one deserved more of the free-flowing praise than Gonzalez. Known for being an emotional sort, Gonzalez said he sought counsel from pitching coach Greg Maddux before taking the mound. “He just broke it down to something simple: Think of fielding a routine ground ball or fishing or something that takes your mind off it,” Gonzalez said. “I understood it immediately.”

Team USA’s defense shined as well. Playing in his home park, right fielder Giancarlo Stanton saved a run in the fourth by chasing down a shot by Mike Aviles with a runner on third. In the sixth, reliever Jeremy Affeldt turned Alex Rios’ hard comebacker into a 1-4-6 double play with a nifty turn by Brandon Phillips, who made the throw from second from his knees.

The U.S. is coming together at the right time, setting the stage for what shapes up as a thriller against the undefeated Dominicans. The meeting will be the first between the powers in the WBC.

“It’s a marquee matchup,” Torre said. “A steppingstone to where the finals are going to be played.”

A destination that suddenly seems much closer for Team USA than it did just last week.